Split over tougher rules on tobacco

Member states and MEPs are on a collision course over proposed rules to strengthen tobacco controls in the European Union. On Friday (21 June), health ministers voted to slightly water down the European Commission’s proposal on tobacco rules. But MEPs want tougher rules that go further than the Commission’s proposal.

Ministers removed from the Commission’s proposal a ban on slim cigarettes. However, they said these cigarettes should be sold in normal-sized packets to reduce their appeal to young people.

The ministers backed a proposed ban on flavoured cigarettes, including menthol. They also backed a requirement for large pictorial warnings to be printed on all cigarette packets, but reduced the amount that would have to be covered from 75% to 65%.

The compromises were made to ease the concerns of central and eastern European member states that believe the restrictions would harm their economies. But the amendments failed to satisfy Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania, which voted against the Council’s position.

Speaking after the vote, Tonio Borg, the European commissioner for health, said the Council’s position respected the intent behind the Commission’s proposal. “The main thrust is that tobacco should look like tobacco, not like perfume or candy, and that it should taste like tobacco as well,” he said.

But many MEPs want tougher rules. British centre-left MEP Linda McAvan, who will lead the Parliament’s negotiating team, wants the EU to ban the use of logos and trademarks, and force all cigarettes to adopt ‘plain packaging’.

The Parliament’s environment and health committee, which is responsible for the dossier, will vote on 10 July. The committee tends to take a strong line on such issues – but other parliamentary committees rejected the most ambitious anti-smoking amendments in advisory opinions last week.

E-cigarettes

There is likely to be disagreement on electronic cigarettes, which are largely unregulated in the EU. The Commission has proposed that e-cigarettes containing 4 milligrammes or more of nicotine must be classed as medicinal products. Health campaigners said such a move could hurt a product that many people use to help them quit smoking. But ministers voted to make the rules on e-cigarettes even tougher, lowering the threshold to 1mg.